Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-03-30
GREELEY'S WEAKNESS.
Evidences of Eccentricity Displayed by the
Great New York Editor.


Great New York Editor.
I recall four illustrations of inten-
tional afectations on the part of Horace
Greeley:
The first was in Sacramento, Cal. A
large audience had assembled to hear
him speak, an he was detained on the
road. On arrival he was dri ven to the
st. George Hotel and hurried to room
that he might partake of some refresh
fnent and dress before his lecture. The
impatience of the audience was as
suaged by the announcement that Mr..
Greeley was adjusting his toilet, and
making himself comfortable after
long and tedious stage ride. He reach
ed the hall at rine o'clock.
Was he dressed?
How?
Precisely as when he left the stage
coach. He had not washed his face nor
his hands. He hadn't changed a sin
gle article of attire from coat to shirt,
from collar to boots. Absolutely COW
cred with dust. with cravat awry, with
collar dirty and crumpled, with shirt
front disarranged, with unpoiished
boots, he shambled into the hall and up
the long aisle, until, standing on the
platform, dirty, ill-kenpt, unattractive,
he faced an audience mainly of New
England men and women, each arrayed
in accordance with decorum.
What was that?
Ecceptricity, oddness not only, but
an affectation Of the extremity of each.
On another occasion in Paris he, as
delegate from the United States to the
great exposition. was notified to meet
his fellcw-delegates in specified salon.
Mr.. Greeley and Erastus Brooks, an
other delegate, arrived in advance Of
the others. Mr.. Brooks, who was the
very personifcation of neatness and
trimness, noticed that Mr. Greeley's
trousers were hitched up over the leg
of his boot, and at some personal in
convenience having called his atten-
ton to it, kneeled and adjusted the
garment. Later on, in the reception
room, where the delegates from all
countries had met for formal presen-
tation, imagine the disgust and annoy
ance of Mr.. Brooks when he saw that
Mr.. Greeley had re-6isarranged his
trousers, so that the bottoms of them
still rested upon the legs of his boots.
Years after that / had occasion to
call on Mr.. Greeley in his home relative
to matters in Washington. He was
i'll and in bed. Dhe bedstead was
placed across the corner of the room.
In the center was a revolving book
case, against which rested a long
mirror. Articles of clothing were
strewn about the floor and intensest
confusion dominated the place. M.
Greeley w as not seriously i'll, but, by
the advice of his physician, kept his bed
several days. So far as confusion,
malarrangement and upsidedown-
ativeness were concerned that bed
room capped the climax.
Was that intentional?
The statue of Benjamin Franklin was
set up some time after that in Printing
House Square, Immediately in front of
the Tribune building. A committee of
arrangements provided places on the
programme for Professor Morse, Mr..
Greeley and others. We were all to
meet in the Tribune editorial rooms
and go in procession to the statue. 1t
was a memorable occasion, and every
man paid such respect to the proprie-
ties as could be indicated by demeanor
and costume. Mr.. Greeley walked
down the stairs arm in arm with Pro-
fessor Morse with the collar of his
overcoat turned inward, his necktie
awry and one leg of his trousers
hitched up on top of his boot
Was that intentional or accidental?
Horace Greeley was a man packed
with affectations. | always believed
his eccentricities to be assumed, be-
cause they were such palpable contra
dictions of all that he saw about him,
of all that he learned from his unusual
attrition with men of the world. He
was proud of the oddity he presented.
1t gratifed him to be pointed out as
peculiar, as distinct in his personality
from his fellows. An evidence of
weakness you think? Why, certainly,
an evidence of weakness in one of the
greatest, one of the grandest men
known to American history. He would
have been a brave man who dared pro-
nounce Horace Greeley insane by rea-
son of these peculiar developments,
and yet it is difficult to reconcile his
unquestioned ability, his worldwide
experience, his rare power of thought,
his competency in argument with these
petty developments of vanity and of
self-satisfaction.
When you come to think of it you
will find evidence of eccentricity In
nearly all the men and women OF
prominence you ever heard of-Josepb
Howard, is Cincinnati Enquirer.